Jüri Talvet was born on December 17, 1945 in Pärnu (Estonia). A graduate of Tartu University in English philology (1972) and a PhD by Leningrad (St. Petersburg) University (1981, with a dissertation on the Spanish Golden Age picaresque novel), he has over several decades taught Western literary history (from 1992 as a Chair) at Tartu University. He has also been the founder and the director of Spanish studies there (from 1992/1993). He chaired the Estonian Association of Comparative Literature from 1994 to 2010 and has edited its annual international journal Interlitteraria since 1996. As a writer (a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union since 1984), he has published a number of books of poetry and essays. He has been an invited participant of international poetry festivals in Lithuania, Spain, Colombia, Slovenia, Bolivia and Romania. He has been active as a translator of (mainly) Spanish and Latin-American literature (Lazarillo de Tormes, Quevedo’s poems, Gracián’s Oráculo manual, Calderón’s La vida es sueño and El gran teatro del mundo, Tirso de Molina’s El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra, Vargas Llosa’s Los cachorros, García Márquez’s short stories, poems by Espriu, Pessoa, American poets, etc.). As a literary and cultural researcher, he has published Hispaania vaim (1995) and Tõrjumatu äär (2005), as well as more than a hundred essays and articles on literature and culture in Estonian, Spanish, Russian and US journals. Talvet was awarded Estonian Annual Prize of Literature in 1986, the Juhan Liiv Prize of Poetry in 1997, and the Ivar Ivask’s Memorial Prize for poetry and essay in 2002. He has also been awarded the Order of Isabel the Catholic (of Spain) and the Order of White Star (4th class; Estonia).
Selected publications:
Essays and article collections: Teekond Hispaaniasse (A Journey to Spain; Tallinn, 1985), Hispaaniast Ameerikasse (From Spain to America; Tallinn1992), Hispaania vaim (The Spanish Spirit; Tartu, 1995), Ameerika märkmed ehk Kaemusi Eestist (American Notes or Contemplations of Estonia; Tartu, 2000), Sümbiootiline kultuur (Symbiotic Culture; Tartu, 2005), Tõrjumatu äär (The Irrefutable Border; Tartu, 2005); A Call for Cultural Symbiosis (Toronto, 2005, trans. by H. L.Hix); Una crida a la simbiosi cultural (Valencia, 2008, trans. J.C. Lainez), Un enfoque simbiótico de la cultura posmoderna (Granada, 2009; trans. S. Bravo Utrera).
Poetry: Äratused (Awakenings; Tallinn, 1981), Ambur ja karje (The Archer and the Cry; Tallinn, 1986), Hinge kulg ja kliima üllatused (The Soul’s Progress and Surprises of Climate; Tallinn, 1990), Eesti eleegia ja teisi luuletusi (Estonian Elegy and Other Poems; Tallinn, 1997), Kas sul viinamarju ka on? (Do You Have Also Grapes?; Tartu, 2001), Unest, lumest (From Dreams, from Snow; Tartu, 2005); Silmad peksavad une seinu (Eyes Beat the Walls of Sleep; Tartu, 2008), Isegi vihmal on hing / Jüri Perler, Oo Hamlet, mu vend! (Even Rain Has Soul / Jüri Perler, Oh Hamlet, My Brother; Tartu, 2010) Elegía estonia y otros poemas (Valencia, 2002, trans. A. Lázaro Tinaut); Estonian Elegy. Selected Poems (Toronto, 2008; trans. H. L. Hix), Del sueño, de la nieve (Zaragoza, 2010; trans. A. Lázaro-Tinaut), Of Snow, of Soul (Toronto, 2010; trans. H. L. Hix), De la neige, des rêves (Paris, 2011; trans. A. Vantchev de Thracy), De din somn, de din zăpadă (Bucharest, 2011; trans. D. I. Ion).
ABSTRACT:
"How to Research Iberian Literatures from a Comparative European Perspective? Premises and Contexts"
In my paper I will try to characterize the present state of comparative literary studies in Europe and the world, showing its advances along with serious gaps both in theory and practice. I will develop my ideas and concepts as postulated in my article “Edaphos and Episteme of Comparative Literature” (Interlitteraria, 10, 2005, pp. 46-56), with a stress not so much on the reception of literature on the axis "text – reader" or "text – text", but centring on the premises and contexts of intercultural reception of literature, especially in relation with the concepts of “centres”, "peripheries" and "borders" (in this aspect relying on some ideas exposed in the late work of Yuri M. Lotman).
En mi presentación intentaré caracterizar el estado actual de los estudios literarios comparados en Europa y en el mundo, mostrando sus avances junto con sus importantes vacíos, tanto en la teoría como en la práctica. Desarrollaré las ideas y conceptos postulados en mi artículo “Edaphos and Episteme of Comparative Literature” (Interlitteraria, 10, 2005, pp. 46-56), incidiendo no tanto en la recepción de la literatura en el eje “texto-lector” o “texto-texto”, sino en las premisas y contextos de la recepción intercultural de la literatura, especialmente en relación con los conceptos de “centros”, “periferias” y “fronteras” (basándome en este aspecto en algunas de las ideas presentadas en los últimos trabajos de Yuri M. Lotman).
Na minha apresentação tentarei caracterizar o estado actual dos estudos literários comparados na Europa e no mundo, mostrando os seus avanços e os seus importantes vazios, tanto na teoria como na prática. Desenvolverei as ideias e conceitos postulados no meu artigo “Edaphos and Episteme of Comparative Literature” (Interlitteraria, 10, 2005, pp. 46-56), incidindo não tanto na recepção da literatura no eixo “texto-leitor” ou “texto-texto”, mas nas premissas e nos contextos da recepção intercultural da literatura, especialmente em relação com os conceitos de “centros”, “periferias” e “fronteiras” (baseando-me, neste aspecto, em algumas das ideias apresentadas nos últimos escritos de Yuri M. Lotman).
Selected publications:
Essays and article collections:
Teekond Hispaaniasse (A Journey to Spain; Tallinn, 1985), Hispaaniast Ameerikasse (From Spain to America; Tallinn1992), Hispaania vaim (The Spanish Spirit; Tartu, 1995), Ameerika märkmed ehk Kaemusi Eestist (American Notes or Contemplations of Estonia; Tartu, 2000), Sümbiootiline kultuur (Symbiotic Culture; Tartu, 2005), Tõrjumatu äär (The Irrefutable Border; Tartu, 2005); A Call for Cultural Symbiosis (Toronto, 2005, trans. by H. L.Hix); Una crida a la simbiosi cultural (Valencia, 2008, trans. J.C. Lainez), Un enfoque simbiótico de la cultura posmoderna (Granada, 2009; trans. S. Bravo Utrera).
Poetry:
Äratused (Awakenings; Tallinn, 1981), Ambur ja karje (The Archer and the Cry; Tallinn, 1986), Hinge kulg ja kliima üllatused (The Soul’s Progress and Surprises of Climate; Tallinn, 1990), Eesti eleegia ja teisi luuletusi (Estonian Elegy and Other Poems; Tallinn, 1997), Kas sul viinamarju ka on? (Do You Have Also Grapes?; Tartu, 2001), Unest, lumest (From Dreams, from Snow; Tartu, 2005); Silmad peksavad une seinu (Eyes Beat the Walls of Sleep; Tartu, 2008), Isegi vihmal on hing / Jüri Perler, Oo Hamlet, mu vend! (Even Rain Has Soul / Jüri Perler, Oh Hamlet, My Brother; Tartu, 2010) Elegía estonia y otros poemas (Valencia, 2002, trans. A. Lázaro Tinaut); Estonian Elegy. Selected Poems (Toronto, 2008; trans. H. L. Hix), Del sueño, de la nieve (Zaragoza, 2010; trans. A. Lázaro-Tinaut), Of Snow, of Soul (Toronto, 2010; trans. H. L. Hix), De la neige, des rêves (Paris, 2011; trans. A. Vantchev de Thracy), De din somn, de din zăpadă (Bucharest, 2011; trans. D. I. Ion).
ABSTRACT:
"How to Research Iberian Literatures from a Comparative European Perspective? Premises and Contexts"
In my paper I will try to characterize the present state of comparative literary studies in Europe and the world, showing its advances along with serious gaps both in theory and practice. I will develop my ideas and concepts as postulated in my article “Edaphos and Episteme of Comparative Literature” (Interlitteraria, 10, 2005, pp. 46-56), with a stress not so much on the reception of literature on the axis "text – reader" or "text – text", but centring on the premises and contexts of intercultural reception of literature, especially in relation with the concepts of “centres”, "peripheries" and "borders" (in this aspect relying on some ideas exposed in the late work of Yuri M. Lotman).
En mi presentación intentaré caracterizar el estado actual de los estudios literarios comparados en Europa y en el mundo, mostrando sus avances junto con sus importantes vacíos, tanto en la teoría como en la práctica. Desarrollaré las ideas y conceptos postulados en mi artículo “Edaphos and Episteme of Comparative Literature” (Interlitteraria, 10, 2005, pp. 46-56), incidiendo no tanto en la recepción de la literatura en el eje “texto-lector” o “texto-texto”, sino en las premisas y contextos de la recepción intercultural de la literatura, especialmente en relación con los conceptos de “centros”, “periferias” y “fronteras” (basándome en este aspecto en algunas de las ideas presentadas en los últimos trabajos de Yuri M. Lotman).
Na minha apresentação tentarei caracterizar o estado actual dos estudos literários comparados na Europa e no mundo, mostrando os seus avanços e os seus importantes vazios, tanto na teoria como na prática. Desenvolverei as ideias e conceitos postulados no meu artigo “Edaphos and Episteme of Comparative Literature” (Interlitteraria, 10, 2005, pp. 46-56), incidindo não tanto na recepção da literatura no eixo “texto-leitor” ou “texto-texto”, mas nas premissas e nos contextos da recepção intercultural da literatura, especialmente em relação com os conceitos de “centros”, “periferias” e “fronteiras” (baseando-me, neste aspecto, em algumas das ideias apresentadas nos últimos escritos de Yuri M. Lotman).